Chocolate
by Mae Stark
Summary: Just when he has everything going for him, Tony has to go and screw it all up. Oneshot, Pepperony


**Sooo in case you didn't recognize the title, this fic was inspired by the song "Chocolate" by Snow Patrol. This is what I get for listening to music while I brainstorm plots…**

**If you haven't heard the song or read the lyrics, I would highly recommend doing that right now. It's an amazing song. Basically, any Snow Patrol song is amazing. However, knowing the song is not necessary to enjoying the fic.**

**As usual and much to my dismay, I do not own anything. Though I _have _been eyeing up those Iron Man 2 valentines at Walmart... **

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Chocolate

"Pepper," he calls, his forehead pressed against the door, "Pep, I shouldn't have done it. I didn't mean to." Tony waits for a reply, but none comes; all he can hear is her sobbing on the other side of the locked door. He rests his back against the wall, collapses to the floor, and rests his head in his hands. How could he have messed this up? The one thing he had going for him, the one thing he loved, and he had to go and screw it all up.

He guesses that it shouldn't be all that much of a surprise. He always ruins things. But he had hoped that he had changed, that things would be different with Pepper. Things did change for a while, but now everything is slipping away. And it is all his fault.

Tony is ashamed that he hurt her. But, as much as he would like to deny it, he had enjoyed it. With his eyes closed, his mind wanders to last night, to the woman with deep green eyes, the long legs. He can feel his hands knotting in her soft dark hair, pulling her towards him…

He shudders and tries to push her out of his thoughts. The truth is, he had welcomed the change of holding someone different in his arms. This may be the truth, but that doesn't mean he isn't sorry. Tony loves Pepper more than anything else, even more than himself, and he feels absolutely awful that he could do something like this to her. Tony wishes that he could take it back, undo what he has done. But he can't.

And as Tony sits in front of Pepper's door, he realizes just how much he cares about her. She makes him feel alive just by being with him. It's a feeling he doesn't quite understand, but it feels so natural that he opens himself to it. Tony Stark likes to always be in control, but that's not the case with Pepper. He tries to make it seem like he knows what he's doing, but he really has no clue. After all, long term relationships are not something he is used to. It's a scary thing to get used to, but he's figuring it out.

But now things are all messed up.

"Pepper," he calls again, "I'm so sorry. I love you."

This time, Tony doesn't have to wait long for a reply. "Go!" she screams at him from behind the door. "Leave me alone!"

He is deeply hurt by her words, but he doesn't expect anything less. He may love her, but there is no way that she could love him back, not after this. How could she love someone who hurt her so deeply?

He looks down at the arc reactor, feeling the cold metal with his fingertips. Pepper doesn't want him, and he doesn't deserve to be with her anyway. A dark feeling rises within him and he doesn't fight it. He deserves to be miserable. Then he realizes what he must do and rises from the floor, making his way down the steps to the kitchen.

His hand shakes as he writes the letter. Tony usually never concerns himself with goodbyes, but he feels like he owes Pepper something more.

It's hard to focus, hard to clear his head long enough to form a coherent sentence. His head is always filled with thousands of ideas, thoughts, plans, all pulling at his attention at the same time. The sheer multitude of thoughts is overwhelming, but there are ways around it. Tony has tried music, cars, alcohol, even flying in the suit to calm his racing thoughts. But nothing works better than Pepper. When he's on the brink of insanity, she can always pull him back from the edge. When he's with her, he thinks clearly.

A life without her doesn't seem worth living. Tony doesn't know what he will do after he leaves. Probably work for SHIELD full time, fill his days with missions so that he doesn't have time to think of her. It will be better that way, when he is away from her.

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It takes a few minutes before Pepper can calm herself down. She presses her ear against the wooden door, listening for Tony on the other side. She hears nothing, not his breathing or the soft hum of the arc reactor. She frowns, and opens the door a crack. Tony isn't there.

She steps out of the doorway and cautiously makes her way down the stairs. "Tony?" she calls softly. There is no answer, and so she continues on to the kitchen. Something on the table, a paper, catches her eye, and she takes it into her hands. The writing filling the page is scrawled out, barely legible, in Tony's own hand. It is short, but what she reads breaks her heart.

_Dear Pepper,_

_I am so sorry. You deserve better than this, and so I have decided to leave. _

_You can have the company and the house, I trust you will know how to handle it. I know you probably won't want to stay in the house, you always thought it was too big, but please just come over and talk to Jarvis every once and a while. Even he gets lonely. _

_I know that what I have done is inexcusable, and I wish more than anything that I could take it back. I love you, Pepper Potts, and I always will._

_Love, _

_Tony_

A wave of sadness hits her as Pepper realizes what Tony has decided to do. The thought of him leaving fills her with sorrow, and she realizes that, despite how much he hurt her, she still loves him.

She rushes down to the basement, quickly entering her code at the glass door. At first, she doesn't see him, and she thinks that she is too late. Her heart sinks and heat seeps through her veins until she hears the whirring of machines, and she turns toward the noise.

The cool metal of the suit is a relief to his weary body. He stands still, eyes closed as Jarvis encases him within it. The machines finish their work quickly, and the face mask slides down over his eyes. Then he turns, and freezes immediately, because pepper is standing there across the room, staring at him, his note in her hand. Her blue eyes are red from crying, her glorious hair wild. He notices this and it makes him feel worse for treating her so badly. Neither of them speak for a while; they just stand there, staring at each other.

Then Tony grows restless, turns to leave, and she calls out to him. "Tony, I don't want you to go." She says it quietly, but he clearly hears her.

He falters for a second, but continues toward the entrance toward the tunnel. He has made his choice, and he will stick with it, stubborn as always. Pepper sees the obdurate drive behind his steps, and she rushes forward and stands before him, effectively blocking his way. She characteristically rests her hands on her hips in a way that still makes Tony's heart leap, her expression one of inflexible conviction. Tony could easily overcome her, push past her, but he doesn't. And he doesn't know why.

Pepper steps closer and rests her hands on either side of his face, still encased in the strong metal of the suit. He can feel her fingers slide across the smooth metal, seeking the slight indentation that will cause the mask to retract. He allows her to continue, so she slides an agile finger across his jaw, causing him to shiver, even through the metal of the suit. The visor pulls back to reveal his handsome face, wet with tears.

He stands still as she leans in, and he can feel her warm breath on the side of his neck as she whispers in his ear. "I love you, Tony." Then Pepper pulls him closer to her, pressing his lips to hers.

As he kisses her, he realizes that he hasn't really changed: at least, not yet. But he wants to change, to become someone better for her. He hasn't become anything yet, but he will. Her forgiveness fills him with a new sense of purpose and love, and he feels like he has been reborn, like he has been given a second chance. And, in reality, he has. He has another opportunity to make things work with the woman he loves. Tony knows that his mistake will be hard to fix, but he is willing to fix it because he truly loves Pepper. And she loves him, despite it all.

Finally, they pull away for air, and he moves his lips to her neck. Tony kisses the skin there, and she shudders, weaving her fingers through his dark hair. "I'll do it right this time," he whispers. "I promise."

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**So... yeah. There it is. For some reason, I'm not as happy with this one, but maybe you guys think different. As always, authors love feedback. Please review!**


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